1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mail notification apparatus and method that notifies the arrival of an electronic mail.
2. Description of Related Art
Due to the recent spread of the Internet, information communication is commonly used between remote computers. For example, an electronic mail is used as a means of information communication between personal computers (hereinafter, referred as to “PC”).
Generally, when an electronic mail is used, a user subscribes to a provider, and sends an electronic mail to a mail server maintained by the provider. The provider transfers the electronic mail to a mail server corresponding to an addressee (destination). Thus, an electronic mail is transmitted to a desired addressee (destination). On the other hand, when the user wants to confirm the arrival of an electronic mail, the user should start a PC, and so on, connect to the provider, and retrieve an electronic mail stored in the mail server of the provider, to confirm the arrival of the electronic mail.
However, the above-described procedure to confirm the arrival of the electronic mail require starting of PC, and so on, and connection to the provider before confirming presence of arrived (received) electronic mails. Accordingly, the user should stand by a place where PCs, and so on, are present. However, even when the user is going out, or away from his/her office/home, electronic mails arrive in many circumstances. In such a case, the user may only have a communication apparatus, such as a cellular phone, with him/her. Thus, it is difficult to obtain information regarding the arrival of an electronic mail at the mail server maintained by the provider.
Accordingly, the present invention is provided in view of the above-described problem, and an objective of the present invention is to provide a mail notification apparatus and method that provides a superior convenience to let a user know of (confirm) the arrival of electronic mails even when the user is away.